


Friend Zoned

by StonyAvengerGirl16 (CharmedBritannia)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:58:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3380666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmedBritannia/pseuds/StonyAvengerGirl16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony have become the best of friends, and that's enough for Steve. Until he's introduced to the concept of the 'Friend Zone'. Now he's questioning his actual feelings towards Tony, and wondering how Tony feels towards him. </p><p>A little emotional at the end, but it all gets worked out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friend Zoned

Steve Rogers didn't like Tony Stark at all when they first met. Yes, he had apologized for the comments on the Helicarrier, because those were harsh and completely untrue. Stark had given him a muttered apology back. 

 

But that still didn't mean he liked him.

 

In his eyes, Stark was rude, reckless, and insubordinate. He said whatever came to mind without a filter, never listened to orders out in the field, and had no respect for his superiors. It didn't matter that much, because Stark had been very vocal about how thought that Rogers had a "star-splangled, sanctimonious, self-righteous stick up his his ass."  They verbally cut at each other until Fury got "sick of their shit", and yelled rather loudly that if they didn't have anything cordial to say than to just "stay fucking silent."

 

So they did.

 

They ignored each other the best that they could. They didn't even look at each other. The only exception was when he had to lecture Stark about following orders in the field _again_. He did it so much that _he_ was sick of his own goddamn voice. 

 

This circle of animosity continued until during one battle against some scorned mad scientist armed with an army of giant, strange tiger-wolfs that were out for blood attacked Manhattan. They were out there within minutes, trying to subdue the animals and capture their creator. He was trying to keep one particularly nasty one at bay with his shield, finally knocking it away after a few moments, but for an instant that left his six open. Apparently the scientist they were fighting wasn't happy about what they were doing to his pets, because he had brandished a gun while his back was turned. That one instant was his chance, and so he took the shot.

 

The others couldn't warn him until the last instant, and it was clear that the shot was coming to fast for him to completely defend against. He closed his eyes, bracing himself...

 

And all that he felt was a hard shove.

 

It sent him rolling a bit, but other than that, nothing. What kind of gun was that-

 

And then he saw.

 

The asphalt had been dug into a few meters away. He turned towards the scientist, who was grinning evilly, and let his shield fly. It knocked him out squarely, and he caught it as it ricocheted, running towards the rubble. Who could of made this? Thor, the Hulk, or-

 

Stark? 

 

He fell to his knees next to the burnt and battered suit. From the looks of it, if that shot had hit him, it would have left a nice large hole right in his midsection. But why would Stark of all people shove him out of the way? And his suit was ruined. He knew how much he loved them. He internally berated himself for thinking of him so lowly, and worked to pry the metal suit off of him. The memory of their first battle as a team came to mind. He obviously did something right because the suit opened itself up in one piece. He gently pulled the unconscious man out, and commed Widow.

 

"Tell SHIELD that we need a med evac yesterday. Iron Man was hit."

 "How is the arc reactor?"

 "The blue light in his chest is still on."

 

Widow sighed in relief.

 

"Alright. Any other injuries?"

 "The shot hit him square in the side. The suit is dented, so the impact probably broke a few ribs. A few bruises and lacerations from the impact with the ground. Right ankle is definitely twisted. Most likely a concussion as well. The suit took a good deal of the damage."

 

She hissed through her teeth.

 

"Oh, he's going to be so pleased about that. Make sure you get the armor."

 "Copy that."

 

By the time he had finished talking, the med team had arrived. He placed Stark on the stretcher, watching as they placed an oxygen mask over his face. He kept watching as they loaded him into the med ship and left for the Helicarrier.

\---

 

"Four broken and one bruised ribs on the left side, one bruised rib on the right, twisted right ankle, multiple lacerations and bruises, and a moderate concussion. The damage would have been much worse without the armor's protection, but being banged around in a metal suit didn't really help either. But he most likely saved your life, Captain. If that blast would have hit you, you might have been too badly injured for even your advanced healing factor to repair."

 

He could feel Natasha glaring at the doctor. But she was right. If only he'd been more attentive, his teammate wouldn't be laying in that hospital bed unconscious. God, this was all his fault. He was injured, and it was _all his fault..._

 

"Hey, Capsicle. What's with the long face?"

 

He shot up from his chair and was by the bed in a second, not really knowing what to do. Should he call the nurse?

 

"Hey. Hey. Cap. Stop it. I'm fine."

 "But Tony- Stark. Sorry. Are you alright?"

 "Tony's fine."

 "What?"

 "I said Tony's fine. You don't have to use it, but I figure that I just saved your life. That should put us on a first-name basis, at least on my end."

 "No, I mean sure. Tony. You can call me Steve."

 "I think I'll stick with Cap."

 "Tony."

\-----

 

After that, they began to take baby steps towards a more friendly relationship. It started out as chatting in the halls instead of silently glaring as they passed. Then they started sitting next to each other during debriefs. It almost scared people how much progress they were making. Pretty soon Steve found Tony's remarks to be more funny than hostile, and Tony found Steve's reactions to vulgar remarks hilarious instead of annoying.

 

It was not uncommon for them to sit next to each other anymore, no. But it _was_ uncommon for Steve, AKA Captain America, to let out a rather impolite snort during the debrief. Everyone's eyes turned towards him, and Steve's face got redder and redder as he tried to sink into his seat. Tony sat next to him, the picture of suspicious innocence. Fury narrowed his good eye.

 

"Something funny, Rogers?"

 "No, sir."

 "Then keep quiet while I'm talking. Am I clear?"

 "Yes, sir."

 

He turned back towards the screen in front of him. Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony when he stifled a chuckle. He picked up the pen and scribbled a response.

 

_You're a menace._

 

**I know. If you can't handle it then don't respond**

 

_That comment was completely unnecessary._

 

**All I asked was if Fury ever got itchy under all that leather. You didn't have to laugh**

 

_Of course I was going to laugh. You drew a doodle of Fury scratching himself._

 

**Well then that's your fault for having a shitty poker face**

 

_My poker face is awesome thank you very much_

 

**You write lies**

 

_Captain America doesn't lie_

 

**Lies**

 

_Stop scribbling out my_

 

**LIES**

"ROGERS. STARK."

 

They both looked up at the same time, pen held between them where they had been playing in impromptu game of tug of war. Clint was looking at them with a look of extreme smugness, Natasha had a small smirk on her face, Bruce was grinning a little, and Thor was laughing boisterously.

 

"My friends! This game looks amusing. May I join?"

 "No, Thor, this isn't-"

 "Since it's obvious that none of you fuckers is listening, and Stark and Rogers are passing motherfuckin' notes like this is middle school, this debrief is over. Get the hell out."

\-----

 

"Aw, you guys went to _Frank's_? What the hell, Stark? Why wasn't I invited?"

 "Because I like Steve more than you."

 

That sentence should not have made him feel as smug as it did.

 

Clint looked over at him, and raised his eyebrows. He merely shrugged.

 

"Tony has spoken. Sorry Clint."

 

Tony took off then, patting Steve on the back. Steve watched him go with a fond look on his face. Why did he ever think Tony was anything less than a good man?

 

"You are so far gone."

 "What?"

 "Nothing."

\----

 

"Tony? Tony?"

 

Only silence met him. He hadn't spoken to Tony in almost two days, and neither had anyone else. JARVIS had assured them that he was alive, but that didn't mean he was alright. Every time he came down to the workshop, nothing had changed. The large doors were blacked out, and his bio-signature didn't work. JARVIS had told him that it had been temporarily disabled. He fumed. This couldn't keep going on. His best friend was on the other side of those doors, and goddamnit he was going to reach him. He grabbed the shield off his back, ignored JARVIS' troubled inquiries, and braced himself.

 

And then he smashed through the doors.

 

The sound of screaming lyrics almost knocked him over, but he wouldn't be deterred.

 

"JARVIS! Turn off the music!"

The music abruptly shut off, and Steve sighed in relief. But his work wasn't done. He stood up straight, and surveyed his surroundings. The shop looked just like it always did, with parts scattered everywhere, along every surface. But he didn't see the man that used them...

 

All of a sudden there was a pull on his pant leg. He looked down and smiled. DUM-E beeped up at him. Tony had introduced him to all of his bots before.

 

"How are you, DUM-E? Have you seen Tony?"

 

DUM-E beeped in what looked like sorrow. He rolled over behind one of the tables, and Steve followed. What he saw broke his heart. Tony was curled up behind the table, blow-torch in hand. His eyes were unfocused, and he was trembling and sweating.

 

"Oh, Tony.."

 

Tony's eyes shot towards him, blowtorch raised. Steve backed up a step, hands up.

 

"It's me Tony. It's Steve. Your best friend. It's alright, you're in the Tower. Just calm down."

 

Tony waited a second, before slowly lowering the torch. Once it was almost to the floor, Steve slowly approached him. He took it out of his hand, and pulled Tony into a hug. Tony was going to complain about it later, but he needed a hug right now. Steve had had panic attacks before, and he knew first-hand how it felt to have the all-consuming dread fill you until you couldn't think, speak, or even breathe. It took a minute, but Tony relaxed into the hug a little.

 

"Did you break my door?"

 "JARVIS wouldn't let me in."

 "Those are expensive."

 "I know."

 "...Thanks. I haven't really had anyone help me out since..."

 

Steve just hugged him tighter. He knew. Pepper had left him after the Mandarin fiasco, leaving Tony to blame himself for failing to make the relationship work. Steve had shaken him out of that stupor, and would do so as many times as he needed it; be there when he felt like he was alone. He would gladly chase away whatever demons were bothering Tony.

 

"You know what, Steve? Everyone should have a best friend like you."

 

It was clearly a compliment, but why did it make him feel so frustrated?

\-----

 

All of the Avengers had since moved into the now proclaimed Avengers Tower.

 

Steve had moved in first, reluctant to intrude. But the floor he was given _was_ much nicer than his SHIELD-issued apartment, and the gym was much more state-of-the-art as well.

 

Natasha and Clint had shown up together battered and bruised. Tony had wisely asked no questions, simply showing them to their individual floors.

 

Thor came and went frequently, but had kept most things in his floor for when he was on Midgard.

 

Bruce had come last, finally reassured that no one was going to detain him once he came out of hiding. He was impressed with the labs, and took no time in making use of them.

 

So mealtimes had become a sort of bonding experience, with everyone coming into the common area to eat. It did get pretty hectic at times, especially when fighting over food:

 

"Where the hell are my Reese's Puffs?"

"No one ate your sugary-ass cereal, Legolas."

"They are delicious and anyone who says otherwise has no soul."

"Whatever. While we're on the topic of missing food, who ate the last blueberry muffin?"

"I did."

"See, Legolas, this is why your shit goes missing."

"So you DID take them-"

"I didn't! But obviously karma decided to bite you in the ass-"

"Hey-"

"-Because you fucked with other people's stuff!"

"I didn't know they were yours-"

"That's all I ever eat in the morning-"

"So? If there's no name, it's free game."

"How fucking old are you? And if you want to play the name card, then everything is mine because it's my fucking tower-"

"It's _Avengers_ Tower-"

"I own the damn building-"

" _HUSH."_

 

Both men looked over at Steve, who was giving them the 'disappointed face'. Said face made you feel as though you were a back-alley hoodlum who had just beat up a little kid and stolen his puppy to sell for cigarettes.

 

It made you feel _really shitty._

 

So both men sat down, begrudgingly accepting the fact that Mama Rogers had just scolded them and there was nothing they could do about it. Steve sighed and turned back towards the counter. Opening a cupboard above his head, he pulled out a blueberry muffin. He had noticed that there were no more, and that that was the only substantial thing Tony would eat for breakfast that wasn't coffee or donuts. So he had stopped by the grocery during his morning jog, and picked some up. Unfortunately, he hadn't remembered to set them out, leading to this nonsense. He walked over with his own toast and orange, and placed the muffin in front of him. Tony lit up, and dug in.

 

"See, Katniss? This is why I like Steve more than you."

"I'm pretty sure you like Steve more than everyone."

"Well, duh. He's my best friend."

 

 With that, he grabbed his tablet, muffin, and coffee; flashing Steve a smile as he left.

 

As soon as he was out of earshot Clint broke into hysterics. Steve just ignored him, used to Clint's internal monologues. Once he gathered his composure, Clint slapped him on the shoulder.

 

"Oh, man. You just got friend-zoned _so hard._ "

"Is this the part where I ask what that means?"

"Oh, poor you. Well, it's _usually_ when a the girl a guy likes either doesn't realize he's flirting with her, or just doesn't like him at all. She puts him above her other friends, but below any other boyfriends she might have."

"And this position is called-"

"The Friend Zone. It's _really hard_ to break out of. I know. I've tried. You're probably doomed to an eternity of being really close but not close enough. Sorry Steve."

 

Clint clapped him on the shoulder again, and continued his hunt for his cereal ("There you are, what the hell are you doing under the stove? Did I hide you?").

 

Steve tried to focus on his schedule for today, but Clint's words resonated in his head, making it impossible to concentrate.

\-----

_'Really close, but not close enough.'_

 

Is that why he was so frustrated nowadays?

 

_'Doesn't realize he likes her, or just doesn't like him at all.'_

 

Did he even want Tony that way?

 

_'Below any boyfriends'_

 

Now _that_ madehimupset. Tony had made it known that he liked both male and female. That fact just made him realize that there was a much larger pool of much richer high-class people for him to choose from. What happened if he chose one? Would he just be tossed to the side, replaced? He liked spending time with Tony. They had lunch together, trained together, and Steve now had an almost permanent indentation on the couch in Tony's workshop. If Tony ever did find another partner, even if Tony wanted to spend time with him, he wouldn't be able to. They would take up all _his_ time with Tony, and he had a feeling that they wouldn't like _their_ time being enroached on by a persistent best friend who may or may not have feelings for their boyfriend.

"Are the new recruits really that bad?"

 

He snapped out of his musings of self-pity, smiling weakly at Natasha. 

 

"No. Well, yes, but I'm sure some practice and experience will help that."

"So what's wrong? You had your 'frustrated battle face' on."

"Have you all just been naming my facial expressions?"

"Well, mostly Tony has. We've all just adopted them, and come up with a few of our own. There's the 'Mama Rogers face', the 'Captain American Chedder Cheesy face', the 'old man Mr. Rogers face', the 'Cap disapproves of your life desicions face', which is the lesser form of the 'Cap disapproves of your existence face', which is usually reserved for aliens, Hydra, and Nazis."

 

Of course Tony would start something like this.

 

"And there's the 'Tony, no' face. I named that one. It's a look of fond exasperation with more than a little adoration mixed in."

 

He hurried to wipe his face blank. 

 

"Don't even try. Stark is right, your poker face is shitty. You're honest, and there's nothing wrong with that. One of us has to be."

"But, does that mean..."

"No, Stark does not know about your crush on him. He's oblivious to anything that's not electric, icaffinated, or life-threatening."

"Well that's...kind of a relief." 

"You don't sound so sure. Go ask him out to lunch. I'll handle the recruits while you're gone."

 

Faces blanched as she approached the already panting group. He shook his head, pulling out his phone. Despite popular belief, technology was not a hassle for him. All it took was someone _explaining it_ instead of worrying about him having a psychological break down if they moved to fast. Tony had explained it to him in a crisp, simple manner, and he had gotten the feel of it in a matter of days. _  
_

' _Are you clear for lunch?_ '

' _No. But I'll make time_ '

' _Don't skip work, Pepper will kill you, and then me for giving you an out._ '

' _I own the company. They can't touch me_ '

' _She will._ '

' _I don't think she'll mind. She thinks you're a good influence_ '

' _Tell her thanks._ '

' _I will. Italian or Mexican?_ '

' _Italian. We should try that new place. The one with the outdoor seating._ '

' _Nice choice. Meet you there, best buddy :)_ '

 

Was Tony trying to set a boundary? Did he know he had feelings for him? Was he just trying to let him down easily?

 

Well, he'd just have to find out.

\----

 

 They were down in Tony's shop when Steve decided to ask the quetion.

 

"Are you seeing anyone?"

 

Tony was so shocked that he accidently dropped the wrench he was using. It was a very large one, so the sound resonated throuh the workshop with a deafening *CLANG*.

 

"What the fuck, Steve? Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. No reason for you to have a serious lab accident."

"Are you still upset about the thing with the springs and smoke bombs? Because I told you that was about  5% Bruce's fault, and 40% Clint's."

"Tony."

 

Tony sighed and picked up the wrench. He was working on some sort of enormous cube. Because this was Tony, it was no doubt explosive, and probably sentient. But for now it just looked like a giant cube with wires coming out of it. Tony grunted as  he tried to attach a one of the the huge wires. 

 

"I don't *grunt* no why *grunt* you're interested. Goddamnit. A little help here, Muscles?"

 

He gave a sarcastic cheesy grin and attached the wire with one hard yank.

 

"Your Star-Spangled Man with a Plan is always here to help."

"You hate that nickname."

"Because you can't say it without laughing."

"Touché. And I'm not seeing anyone. But there is someone I have my eye on."

 

Steve felt his heart fall to his feet. 

 

"Is it someone I know?"

"Yeah, actually. But he probably isn't interested. Scratch that, I know he's not interested."

 

Steve felt a small surge of hope. If whoever it was wasn't acknowledging Tony, he could swoop in and woo him instead.

 

"Well, their loss then."

"Thanks, Steve."

"I'm going to run up and grab my leftover pasta. Do you want anything?"

"Can I have coffee?"

"No. Food."

"Fine. Bring me some of last night's Chinese, please."

"Got it."

 

He was getting the stuff out of the fridge when the floor shook under his feet. The ringing of the fire alarm and the stomping footsteps of everyone gathering in the common room (thank god Bruce was calm, the Hulk would have made things worse) only barely registered as he ran down the stairs towards the lab. JARVIS opened the door, and he was expecting smoke, rubble, and a seriously injured Tony...

 

But all he saw was an empty shop.

 

Tony, the machine, and one of the suits were missing.

\----

 

 After calling the Avengers to assemble, Steve turned to Bruce.

 

"Do you have any idea what he was working on?"

"Some sort of portal generator, I think."

"... _Why?_ "

"Thor's very existence shakes Tony's idea of science vs. magic. He thought that if he replicated the energy signature that's expelled when Thor arrives, then he would have a better grasp on how it works. He also wanted to quote, 'show that asswipe Richards that I'm more fantastic than him'. He showed me the blueprints. They were actually quite impressive."

"So he-"

"Opened up a dimensional rip. Yes."

 

Steve put his head in his hands. Leave it to Tony to rip a hole in _time and space._

 

He just hoped he was alright.

\---

 

"Son of a bitch."

 

Tony picked himself off of the floor. He had donned the armor once the machine had started to overload. He went back over his calculations, did he forget to run a variable-

 

He was promptly knocked over by a flying shield.

 

Only one man used a shield as a fucking weapon.

 

"What the hell... _Steve?"_

 

This dimension's Steve stared at him. He lifted the shield, on the defensive.

 

"What are you? Some sort of shape-shifter? I won't fall for it, whatever the hell you are-"

" _Shape-shifter?_ I am one-hundred percent Tony Stark, fuck you very much."

 

Other Steve blinked at him, hesitantly placing the shield back on his back.

 

" _Tony..."_

"Yes, that's me."

"What is it, Steve..."

 

And apparently there was another Tony as well. They both stared at each other for a minute before saying unanimously:

 

"Son of a _bitch."_

\---

 

Other Tony escorted him up to the penthouse, which looked very... _different_ than it usually did. First of all, where his penthouse was desolate (he spent most nights in his workshop), this penthouse looked very lived in and homey. Instead of the constant tint he kept on his window, there was no tint at all on Other Tony's. The bed was made, and had much more pillows and linens on it. The bathroom door was open, and there were...two sets of towels?

 

"Hey, Other Me? What gives?"

"What do you mean?"

"The penthouse looks almost... _cozy."_

"Well, it's supposed to."

"Why the hell would you do that? You're me, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. But you see-"

"No, I don't."

"I live in here, too."

 

Tony whirled around to face Other Steve. He was holding three cups of coffee, and he placed one in front of Tony.

 

"If you really are Tony, than I assume you like your coffee black?"

"Yes, thank you."

 

He sat down opposite of Tony, and put his arm around Other Tony. Other Tony proceeded to lean into Other Steve. Tony just stared, shocked.

 

"So you two are together?"

"Yep. Aren't you and your Steve?"

"No. We're best friends, though."

"That sucks, dude. Have you seen this guy's abs?"

"Tony.

"I have, in fact. Just not,  you know, _his._ They're very delicious-looking."

"Tony."

"So why haven't you made some sort of move yet?"

"My Steve doesn't like me that way."

"That's what I thought about my Steve. Look at me now."

 

After that interesting conversation, they tried to figure out how to get him home. But one thing was weird.

 

"What makes this dimension different than mine?"

"I'm not sure. But we should ask Reed Richards for help."

"Aaaand there it is. I would never ask him for help. Never. Not even to stop an apocalypse."

"You hate him that much? He's actually a pretty good friend of mine. We go on double dates with him and Sue all the time."

"I'm going to pretend those words never came out of my face. I need to get out of here. Time to go home."

\----

 

Steve was getting irritated.

 

Tony had been missing for almost fifteen hours, and all Fury was worrying about was finding that damn device.

 

"That is a dangerous piece of technology. SHIELD needs to have that contained-"

"What about Tony?"

 

Fury looked to him with an eyebrow raised. Steve knew his tone was short, and that his face was completely insubordinate, but at this point he could care less.

 

"What about Tony, sir. I haven't heard any kind of plan on how to get him back. You've been ranting for forty goddamn minutes about whatever the hell he built, but not a second on him. So. I want to know. What about Tony?"

"Our scientists are working on it-"

"Your scientists are incapable."

 

Everyone turned to look at Bruce. He was wearing a lab coat, and his hair was standing in all directions as if he had been running his fingers through it.

 

"I have been down in that lab for about as long as you've been in this room, and can tell you right now that they are in over their heads. And since Tony's not here to say it, I will. They are all ignorant, self-righteous, incapable morons."

"I don't like what your saying, Banner-"

"I don't like what you're scientists are doing, Fury. And if you don't want the Hulk to rip this goddamn place apart looking for his teammate, you will not get any closer. Because unfortunately, one of the only people in this world who can fix this is the one missing. Now get me a phone or something."

\-----

 

Tony tumbled out of a portal about six hours later.

 

With the help of Reed Richards (oh, Tony was going to _love_ that) and Jane Foster, they managed to use a piece of equipment from Reed's lab to open a 'rip'. The portal itself was impressive, all swirling colors, much like the one Thor used. Tony's arrival was not as impressive; he was thrown out head first, and turned over until he landed on his back. He only had a second to roll away before the giant cube was thrown out next to him. The portal then disappeared without a trace. Everyone watched, holding their breath, wondering if Tony was alright. The faceplate snapped up, and Tony looked at them all seriously.

 

"Did you that there is an alternate dimension where Richards and I are good friends?"

 

And everyone relaxed.

\----

 

Something was up with Tony.

 

Ever since he came back from whatever dimension he was in, he had been acting strange. He could never make it to lunch with him now, he avoided him in the Tower, and he wouldn't meet his eyes when he actually did speak to him. Steve was getting tired of it, so he had a plan. A risky plan, but a plan nonetheless.

\---

"Pepper, I can't believe you called a meeting on a Saturday- where is everyone?"

 

Steve moved from where he was standing by the window. Tony was immediately on guard, watching him with hunted eyes.

 

"Tony. You're a little late, but that's to be expected."

"I was told there was a meeting here-"

"There is. With me."

 

Tony stared at him with his mouth agape.

 

"You... _tricked_ me."

"Yes I did. You wouldn't talk to me otherwise."

 

He didn't mean for the accusatory tone to slip into his voice, and Tony flinched a little when he heard it.

 

"Look, Steve-"

"No. There is no 'look, Steve'. Obviously something happened in wherever the hell you sent yourself, because you've been avoiding me like the plague."

"I just-"

"You just what? Didn't feel like talking to me? Didn't trust me? Am I not your best friend? Am I no longer needed, so you can just toss me aside? I refuse to be dismissed like that, Tony. So either you tell me what's wrong, and we fix it together, or you tell me what's wrong and then tell me to leave. Either way, you're going to give me a reason for how you've been acting!"

"Fine! I'm in love with you! Happy now?!"

 

Steve staggered back, not expecting that outburst. But Tony had no intention of slowing down.

 

"I went to another fucking dimension, where you and I were together. And they were _happy._ And then here I was, being kept at arm's length, just a friend. I had to keep reminding myself every time we would go to lunch or watch a movie or spar together or joke around that it wasn't _real._ You only see me as motherfucking _friend_ , and I could deal with that; at least I was your closest friend. But then I had to go and see that and it tore my fucking heart to _pieces_ because then I started to hope and ask ' _what if?'._ And that question just won't go away, and I damn sure couldn't face you when I'm thinking like that. So just leave me the fuck alone for a while, alright? Jesus, am I _crying_? What the actual _fuck_ is going on right now-"

 

Steve had heard more than enough, and grabbed Tony by the arm.

 

"Leave me _alone_ , Steve, let fucking _go of me_ -"

 

And then he kissed him.

 

It wasn't a proper kiss, no. It was one-sided; a crushing connection of lips meant to force the fact that Steve _did_ care for him. That Steve saw Tony exactly the same way Tony did him. It took a few seconds, but Tony started to slowly kiss back. The kiss gentled, and they broke apart for air after a few moments. Steve let his forehead rest against Tony's, grinning like a fool.

 

"So I take it we're on the same page, now?"

"I believe we are, Captain."

"I can't believe this is happening. Would it be cheesy to say that I really, really, adore you?"

"It would be. But I don't think I'd mind one bit."

 

With that they kissed again, Tony's arms thrown around Steve's shoulders, and Steve's arms around Tony's waist, as close together as they could get.

\----

 

"This is ridiculous."

"No, it's not."

"Steven Grant Rogers, this is the most rom-com date I have ever been on."

"What makes you say that?"

"You brought me _roses,_ Steve. And you knocked on my door like some high-school student. We rode your motorcycle to dinner, which you paid for, and are now walking hand-in-hand through Central Park."

"Did you not like it?"

"I loved it, but that's not the point-"

"It is to me. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"You're such a meatball."

" _You're_ very cute when you smile."

"Jesus."

"You're eyes are beautiful."

"Stop it."

"I really am sweet on you."

" _Stop."_

"Why? You're my sweetheart-"

"Steve."

"My beloved-"

" _Steve."_

"The apple of my eye, my honey bunch, my  cutie-pie-"

" _Steven Grant Rogers stop this instant."_

 

Steve just grinned and held his hand tighter.

 

"I really do love you, Tony."

"And I love you too, Steve. Even if you are a meatball."

"I'm _your_ meatball."

" _STEVE."_

_\------_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
